A Different Breed
by Sir Howl
Summary: After the Wardens are killed at Ostagar, an apostate mage finds herself on a mad quest to unite the land and quell the Blight with a Templar, a swamp witch, a Chantry sister, and a massive dog for company. Suffice to say, Kitra is not a happy woman. [Originally posted on AO3 under the pen name KnightHowl, which was unfortunately unavailable on this site.]
1. Chapter 1

It was a miscalculation on her part. She had estimated that the darkspawn, based on the strength of their scent and spread of their corruption, would be a fair distance to her south and she could easily pass them by. However, that was not the case and, as she buried a genlock's crude axe in its own head, she resolved to avoid such errors in calculation next time in addition to not spending more than a few days in a place infested by darkspawn.

The remainder of the filthy creatures were pressing in on her, trying to corner her against the rocky hillside at her back. She was having none of it. The nearest hurlock received an electrically charged punch to the face while a few genlocks to her left began to spasm and sizzle when the lightning from her other hand hit them.

"Gotcha, you little-" there was a dark, primal laugh behind her as a blade bit into her back. "Shit!" She whipped around ready to strike at the last of the darkspawn only to watch as a dark-haired man relieved the final hurlock of its head.

"Are you alright, miss?" asked the man as he sheathed his blades and took a step toward her, stopping his advance when she took one step back in response.

She let out a grunt of pain as pulled the dagger from her back and tossed it aside. "Peachy," she said dryly as she reached one hand around her back to feel the wound. Not terribly deep, didn't hit anything vital, hurt like a son of bitch. By the time she'd brought her hand back to rest at her side, the wound was already half-healed. "Now if you don't mind, Ser, I'll just be going."

"Actually," he said as he surveyed the area around them, which was littered with a good number of darkspawn corpses, "I have a proposition for you."

"Whatever it is, the answer is no," said the woman flatly, crossing her arms.

He ignored her. "You are a mage and you show skill in defeating darkspawn. The Grey Wardens could use someone like you in our ranks."

"Right," she drawled. "Why ask me when you have plenty of mages at the old fortress?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're just looking to turn me in to the Templars."

The man shook his head. "No. As the Commander of the Grey in Ferelden, I am sincere in my offer, Miss-?"

"No 'miss', just Kitra," she supplied. "And why, Ser Warden, should I accept an invitation into your order?"

"An apostate such as yourself may be interested to know that Warden mages are exempt from the scrutiny of the Chantry and its Templars." The Warden knew he had her by the way she completely froze for a moment, eyebrows arched and grey eyes wide.

"Truly?" she asked, quickly recovering her composure.

"I would not lie about such a matter."

"You got a name, Warden?" Kitra asked suddenly.

"Commander Duncan of the Grey," he supplied.

"Then I accept your proposal, Duncan."


	2. Chapter 2

Upon reaching Ostagar the next morning, Kitra and Duncan were greeted by a man in polished golden armor who was followed by a small personal guard. He directed most of his conversation toward Duncan, for which Kitra was grateful.

She didn't bother to listen closely to their conversation, instead occupying herself with looking at the weathered architecture of the old fortress. Living in the Wilds, she'd seen Ostagar from a distance before, but never this close or from such an angle. She felt dwarfed by the massive columns and tall arches.

Kitra returned her attention to the conversation when it seemed to be nearing its end, with the man in golden armor wishing for a war "like in the tales". He either did not hear or ignored her muttered comment about those tales going far more badly in written history than in the stories woven by minstrels.

"That man is your king?" Kitra inquired as soon as the man and his guard were gone.

"He is also yours," said Duncan, "but yes."

Kitra furrowed her brows at the notion that the man in gold was _her_ king. She owed her allegiance to no one and rather liked it that way.

Duncan gestured for them to walk, and so she walked with him across the bridge to the camp that lay within the main body of the ruins. As they walked, he briefed her on the situation. When they neared the camp, he bought up the subject of the Joining.

"So there's more to this than just picking me out, slapping some griffon-emblazoned armor on me, and sending me off into battle?" she asked dryly.

"Yes, and we shall start immediately. There is another Grey Warden in the camp, a young man named Alistair. Find him and bring him to the bonfire at the camp's center."

With that, they parted ways, with Duncan heading to the camp's center to speak with a gathered group of soldiers and Kitra wandering off into the camp in search of a young man with a griffon somewhere on his armor who answered to the name Alistair.


	3. Chapter 3

As she wandered the camp, Kitra passed by an infirmary and the camp's prison cages where the lone occupant of the cages called out to her. When he begged for food, she handed him a strip of jerky produced from one of the pouches at her belt and went on her way. After that, she encountered the camp's quartermaster and managed to convince him to buy a few potions and poisons that she had on her person. She left him with lighter belt pouches and a fuller purse before continuing to the kennels. She thought to ask the men there if they knew of an Alistair because she had been wandering about for at least an hour, but one of the dogs in the makeshift kennels drew her attention.

He was a big creature, that she could tell even as he lay in the straw bedding. When she peered over the fence of his enclosure, he whined and looked at her pleadingly.

Her curiosity - and, perhaps, sympathy for the obviously ill animal - piqued, she jumped the fence and knelt next to the dog, examining him with a critical eye. His coat was ragged and he was thinner than a dog his size should be. When she offered him a strip of jerky, he refused it, instead resting his head on her leg and looking up at her tiredly.

"Hey, what are you doing in there?" demanded one of the kennel workers, finally finished with his conversation with the other man, presumably another kennel worker.

"Don't question it, she's got him calm," said the other man as he joined his fellow in looking over the kennel fence at Kitra and the hound. "While you're in there, could you slip this on him? We need to get some medicine - if we can get our hands on some, that is - in him but he doesn't seem to like us much. His master was killed in the last battle and he's been uncooperative with us kennel hands ever since."

The second man held out a muzzle and Kitra took it, slipping it easily on the dog.

"What sort of medicine does he need?" she inquired, petting the animal in question absently. "I'm something of a herbalist." She hated to admit it, but Kitra was rather starting to like the big dog and she'd only known him for mere minutes.

"We've got everything we need except for one ingredient: the Wilds Flower. It's got a red center with-", said the second kennel hand.

He was cut off as Kitra stood and walked to the fence, two flowers produced from one of her pouches held in her hand.

"That's them exactly!" He took the flowers from Kitra gratefully, handing her a bit of coin as well.

After giving the dog a farewell pat, Kitra jumped the fence again and went on her way.

It took a while longer, but Kitra finally found a candidate for the man she was looking for. He was young, had the Grey Warden griffon conveniently located on the shield strapped to his back, and was arguing with someone who appeared to be a Circle mage, if the robes and staff were anything to go by. Deciding not to interrupt, she leaned against a nearby column and watched the young man's back and forth with the mage.

"Would you happen to be Alistair?" she asked after the mage had stormed off.

"Yes, and who might you be?" he asked, none of his earlier wit from the conversation with the Circle mage present when he spoke with Kitra.

She thought for a moment. Did she want to introduce herself as a mage, given that the young Warden had just been in an argument with one, a Grey Warden recruit, or simply as Kitra? In the end, she gave him her name.

"Are you the new recruit from Highever?" he asked after taking a moment to really look at her as if he was attempting to figure out who he was really addressing.

Kitra shook her head. "I am not from Highever, but I suppose I am the new recruit."


	4. Chapter 4

Grouped with a friendly, talkative thief; a suspicious knight who looked at her as if she had just grown an extra head as soon as it was mentioned that she was a mage; and Alistair the ex-Templar-turned-Warden who tended to side-eye her when he thought she wasn't looking, Kitra was certain that she would lose her mind before they gathered enough darkspawn blood and found the treaties.

She had elected to scout ahead, in part because she was familiar with the Wilds; also because she couldn't stand another minute of the thief's flirting or the knight's tactless questions about whether or not she was a threat, some of which were directed at herself while others were directed at Alistair. She was able to lead them around a wolf pack, scavenging for food not tainted by the darkspawn, and into darkspawn territory, if the grotesque hanging soldier was anything to go by.

As they walked, they came upon what looked like a massacre of soldiers. Old blood stained the ground and bodies both darkspawn and human lay rotting. One of the bodies near them let out a rasping groan and a cough, causing their knight companion to emit a yelp and jump back.

Curious, Kitra managed to pick out the still-breathing human among the bodies and knelt next to him.

"He's not half as dead as he looks," commented Alistair as Kitra examined the man.

When Kitra's power sparked to life in her hands, she was stopped by an alarmed "Maker, woman! There's no need to fry him!" and a hand on her shoulder. She turned to Alistair, annoyance written all over her face. Behind him, she could see her other companions, wide-eyed and staring.

"I have no intention of 'frying him', as you so eloquently put it," she snapped irritably, the sparks on her hands retreating back into her skin at the interruption. "My magic always looks like that. It's my intent that determines whether I kill or heal." Kitra shook his hand off of her shoulder and her magic flared back to life.

She only half-heard Alistair's muttered remark about how no magic he knows of works like that as little sparks of her magic broke free from her fingers and entered the soldier's body, probing for wounds that she couldn't see.

After Kitra did her best with his head wound and axe wound to the thigh, the soldier started to come back into full consciousness. As soon as he was sitting and able to talk, Alistair took over the situation, getting information from the soldier before sending him back to Ostagar. He was healthy enough to make it, Kitra made sure.

The soldier taken care of, they continued on their way, fighting a few small groups of darkspawn as they went deeper into their territory. Kitra had taken it upon herself to get the requested vials of darkspawn blood, slitting major arteries of the freshly dead with a long-bladed hunting knife and catching what dripped out. After the first two groups she had gathered the blood that Duncan had requested plus a bit for herself, to play with later.


	5. Chapter 5

In the heart of darkspawn territory, they found themselves in a sticky situation.

"Somebody get that mage!" yelped the thief as he skewered one attacking hurlock on his longsword and levered the hurlock into position to block a fireball from the mage.

"I'm a little busy," grunted Alistair as he bashed a pair of genlocks back with his shield and stabbed a third with his sword. More pressed in on him to fill the gap left by their fallen fellows.

The only response from the knight was a grunt as he swung his massive sword, relieving one hurlock of its head and nearly cleaving another completely in two on the down swing. He had to kick the body off of his blade.

"What about you, mage lady?" called the thief in Kitra's general direction. "Can't you hit it with one of your lightning bolts?"

"It's got a magic shield," replied Kitra just loudly enough to be heard over the din of battle. She grabbed two genlocks by the face and fried them. A hurlock came at her with an axe, but she took one hand off of a twitching genlock to zap the hurlock before it could get close enough to hit her.

While she was distracted, a fireball exploded just to her left, catching one of her sleeves on fire. She put it out with a still-sparking hand.

"Will someone please kill that bloody mage!" The knight appeared to be getting frustrated; surrounded as he was, it was hard to swing that big sword of his.

"Since you asked so nicely," muttered Kitra under her breath as she took a step back from the darkspawn approaching her in the wake of the fireball.

Her whole body began to spark and shift, taking on a new form.

A large, angry cougar bowled over two of the darkspawn that had been approaching Kitra before making a beeline for the mage. The beast was able to get through the darkspawn mage's shield and pin it to the ground.

With a shower of sparks and another shift of form, the cougar became Kitra.

She pulled the hunting knife from her belt and slit the darkspawn's throat. Just for good measure, she stabbed it viciously between the eyes.

Their leader dead, the remaining darkspawn retreated into the woods to regroup.

As soon as they were gone, Alistair rounded on Kitra.

"What in the Maker's name was _that_?"

"That," explained Kitra as she leaned down to wipe her knife on the grass, "is one of my favorite tricks."

"Trick? You call that a _trick_?" demanded Alistair. "No normal mage can do anything like that! You're some sort of maleficar, making deals with demons to learn those tricks, aren't you? You have to be."

Kitra sheathed her knife before walking up to Alistair and hooking her fingers in the neck of his armor to pull him close. Angry grey eyes met equally angry hazel. "Call me maleficar if you wish, but do not accuse me of consorting with demons, _templar_." she spat. She then released him, shoving him away and going to scavenge the bodies of the darkspawn for anything interesting or useful.

"Her hair is sparking," commented the thief to the slack-jawed knight.


	6. Chapter 6

As the forest grew dark, they set up camp just outside the darkspawn territory. A dinner of soldier's rations was eaten over a small fire and the softest patches of grass available became their beds. Watches were agreed upon - the thief had first watch, Alistiar second, the knight third, and Kitra fourth.

Morning found Kitra up a tree, staring off into the distance and pointedly ignoring the three grouchy, dew-soaked men below. When they were ready to move on, she climbed down and took her place at the head of the group to lead them through the forest.

By mid-day, ruins were starting to become more frequent and they knew they were in the right place to find old treaties that Duncan sought.

"There should be some sort of marker around here somewhere," said Alistair as he searched through what was left of the main body of the ruins alongside the thief and the knight.

Kitra, searching a few yards away, stood atop a pile of tumbled stones and stared down at a symbol carved into one of the stones beneath her. "You're looking for a griffon, yes? I've got one over here."

The three men joined Kitra at the pile of stones.

"That's the Warden griffon, alright," said Alistair as he examined the stone Kitra had pointed out.

"I think it used to be part of an archway for this room." Kitra gestured to the area behind the pile. One wall still stood and two were in various stages of crumbling. The fourth wall could barely be called a wall at all, fragmented and only coming up to Kitra's knees at its highest. It was this wall to which the archway had once belonged.

"What, exactly, are we looking for?" asked the theif as he eyed the room. It contained very little, aside from debris and plants that sprouted up through the floor.

Kitra stepped into the room, kicking leaf litter and what may have once been crates aside.

"Hey, don't do that! What if the treaties are buried in there? You might destroy them!" protested the knight.

"No, they'd be better protected than that," said Alistair as he too entered the room and began kicking aside the debris. "A magicked chest or-"

"A trapdoor?" interrupted Kitra as she kicked a particularly large debris pile out of her way, showering all three men with it.

"Yes," grumbled Alistair as he picked dead leaves and what he hoped were the rotted splinters of an old crate from his hair.

"I think she did that on purpose," muttered the knight.

Kitra prodded the section of floor she had cleared with the toe of her boot. "Alright, because I think this is it."


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, well. What have we here?"

Kitra turned to face the newcomer. Behind her, Alistair removed his hands from the space beneath the trapdoor and stood while the knight and the thief also turned and their hands went to their weapons.

"Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned?"

The woman took a few steps toward them, causing all but Kitra to take a step back and their weapon hands to get twitchy over their blades.

"Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn-filled wilds of mine in search of easy prey?"

The woman's golden eyes studied each of them in turn, finally coming to rest on Kitra.

"What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?"

"According to one of my current travelling companions, this used to be a Grey Warden tower. He, at least, is a Grey Warden and as such has every right to be poking around." Kitra crossed her arms under her chest, seeming significantly more relaxed than her companions in the presence of the strange woman.

"'Tis a tower no longer. The wilds have obviously claimed this desiccated corpse." The woman paused, her gaze never leaving Kitra. If the mage was unnerved by the scrutiny, she showed no outward sign.

"I have watched your progress for some time. Where do they go, I wondered. Why are they here? And now, you disturb ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?"

"Don't answer her, she looks Chasind," cautioned Alistair quietly from behind Kitra. "And that means others may be nearby."

Obviously, the woman heard him because she seemed amused by the comment. "You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?"

"Yes, swooping is bad," retorted Alistair.

"She's a witch of the wilds, she is," chipped in the thief, who sounded worried at that revelation. "She'll turn us into toads!"

"Why would anyone waste energy on that?" Kitra wondered, mostly to herself. If anyone heard her, they didn't comment.

"Wich of the wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own?" The woman shook her head before turning her attention to Kitra yet again. "You there, I have seen you before. You are a mage and denizen of these wilds. You do not frighten so easily like the little boys you travel with. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

"Kitra. My name is Kitra."

"And I am Morrigan. Shall I guess your purpose? You sought something in that room, something that is here no longer?" asked the woman, Morrigan.

"Here no longer?" repeated Alistair. "You stole them, didn't you? You're some kind of sneaky witch-thief!"

"How very eloquent. How does one steal from dead men?"

"Quite easily, it seems. Those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them."

At the implied accusation that she had stolen the documents, Morrigan seemed annoyed. "I will not, for 'twas not I who took them. Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer if you wish, I am not threatened."

"Then who did remove them?" asked Kitra, stepping in in an attempt to defuse the situation brewing between Alistair and Morrigan.

"'Twas my mother, in fact."

"Could you take us to her?" Kitra ignored the three sharp intakes of breath behind her.

"Hm. There is a sensible request. I like you." The corners of Morrigan's mouth twitched upward in the tiniest of smiles.

"I try," said Kitra with a shrug as she stepped over the crumbling wall to follow Morrigan.

"I'd be careful if I were you," muttered Alistair as he followed Kitra out of the room. "First it's 'I like you', but then zap - frog time."

"She'll put us all in the pot, she will. Just you watch," said the thief worriedly.

"If the pot's warmer than this forest, it will be a nice change." It seemed as though the knight had finally either gotten accustomed to apostates or resigned himself to his fate.


	8. Chapter 8

After retrieving the treaties from Morrigan's mother, it took them another day and a half to get back to Ostagar. The joining was to be held immediately, and within the hour Duncan and Alistair had Kitra, the thief, and the knight grouped in what may have once been the fortress's chapel. On what Kitra supposed used to be the altar was a goblet with the Warden emblem carved on its surface.

A traditional speech was given by Alistair and Duncan told them of their fate. They were to drink the concoction in the goblet - the main component of which was the darkspawn blood they had collected on their journey.

While Kitra's fellow recruits made noises of disgust, shock, and horror, Kitra merely wrinkled her nose. She had briefly entertained the idea that they were going to have to drink the blood while they were collecting it, but given that it was fairly toxic to humans she had doubted that would be the case. Perhaps since it was magically treated, it wouldn't kill them.

However, when the thief was handed the goblet and took his sip of the foul brew, Kitra learned that it was, indeed, still capable of killing them.

Kitra knelt to examine the thief's body while the knight reacted with fear. She ignored the sound of steel on steel behind her, followed quickly by a wet gurgle. When she heard the thud of a body hitting the ground, she looked over her shoulder.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" she asked as she stood.

Duncan didn't answer her question, instead handing her the goblet.

She stared down into the goblet for a moment, briefly contemplating the liquid within. Then, she shrugged and took her sip.

As the concoction took its hold, Kitra's body went limp and she dropped like a stone, collapsing in a heap on the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

Kitra's eyes snapped open. A roar was still ringing in her ears and she couldn't quite comprehend her surroundings. She reacted instinctively to the threat from the vision brought on by the consumption of the substance in the goblet, lashing out at one of the figures above her.

She caught Alistair square in the jaw with her punch, sending the startled Warden sprawling backwards. He made an attempt to defend himself while not hurting Kitra, but found himself quickly overpowered and flat on his back with an angry Kitra still caught in the throes of her vision standing on her knees above him.

Just as she started to reach for her hunting knife, she found herself pulled up and off of Alistair before being shoved roughly into the altar. The pain served to pull her back into her senses; the subsequent slap to the face from Duncan was unnecessary and merely annoyed her.

"What in the name of the Maker was _that_?" Alistair picked himself up off of the ground, rubbing his jaw where Kitra's punch had landed.

"A nightmare," rasped Kitra. At the sound of her own voice, she looked momentarily surprised.

"You were screaming from the moment you woke up until Duncan threw you into the table," supplied Alistair at Kitra's expression. His tone and body language implied that he was annoyed with her; perhaps he expected an apology.

Kitra was unlikely to give one. Instead, she shook her head as if to clear it of the remnants of her vision before leaning back against the altar and looking to Duncan. It seemed to Kitra as though nothing fazed the man - one recruit had dropped dead right in front of him, he had killed another in cold blood, the third recruit had attacked another Warden while in the throes of a darkspawn blood-induced nightmare, and through it all his composure never faltered.

Duncan briefly explained that Kitra was newly capable of sensing the darkspawn and handed her a trinket on a leather cord.

It was Alistair who explained the trinket, twin metal griffons back-to-back with a goblet set over where their bodies joined. The goblet was made of some sort of crystal or glass set into the iron and filled with a dark red substance reminiscent of what Kitra had drank previously. According to him, the trinket was given to all new Wardens as a memento of the Joining ritual to remember those lost - and the crystal was indeed filled with the concoction from the goblet.

There was no rest for the wicked, it seemed, for Duncan ushered Kitra and Alistair to a meeting with the king where they were tasked with lighting a beacon at the top one of the tower Kitra had admired when she first came to Ostagar only a few days previous.


	10. Chapter 10

"Light the beacon, they said," grumbled Kitra. "It's a simple task, they said." She paused to fry the latest small group of genlock ascending the spiral stairs behind them. "Absolute horse shit."

"To be fair, I don't think anyone could have predicted this," said Alistiar with a grunt as he relieved a hurlock of its head before driving his sword deep into a genlock.

Instead of commenting further, Kitra pulled a lyrium potion out of the bag Duncan had supplied her with. She popped the cork and sneezed, scowling momentarily at the swirling blue liquid before tipping the contents of the bottle down her throat. Kitra generally avoided lyrium. For one, it made her sneeze. For another, once the potions ran their course and she ran out of them, she was likely to sleep for a week while her magic restored itself.

They continued to climb, Kitra having to drink a few more lyrium potions along the way as they faced darkspawn from above and below. When they finally reached the top, they were met with a horrifying sight.

A great ogre turned its head to face them as they clattered up the final stairs. Bits of flesh and armor from someone who must have once guarded the tower covered the ogre's face and it carried a mostly-intact arm in one massive hand. It roared, spraying Alistair and Kitra - even half way across the room as they were - with bits of spittle, blood, and other sorts of things that Kitra didn't want to think about.

Next to Kitra, Alistair gagged and clapped a hand over his mouth and nose at the stench. Kitra merely grit her teeth and wrinkled her nose at the foul scent of death and darkspawn.

The ogre charged, causing Kitra and Alistair to scatter. Both managed to scramble out of the way in time and Alistair took advantage of the ogre's run-in with the wall to attack, carving a chunk out of the ogre's calf.

In retaliation, the ogre swiped at Alistair, knocking him off of his feet. Just as the ogre was moving to either pick him up or step on him - the ogre didn't seem to have decided on a course of action quite yet - Kitra zapped some of the softer parts of its leathery hide, causing it to turn its attention to her.

Angry at the application of lightning to the unprotected bits of its flesh, the ogre charged unsteadily at Kitra, favoring the leg that Alistair had attacked.

Kitra dove out of the way and the ogre impacted the wall again. By that time Alistair was up on his feet to continue to stab at the ogre.

In the end, a battered Alistair and exhausted Kitra stood victorious.

"Light the beacon, quickly. We've surely missed the signal," said Alistair tiredly as he leaned against some miraculously undamaged barrels. He was standing oddly, trying to keep most of his weight off of one leg - the one that the ogre had, at one point, hoisted him up by. It took a massive lighting blast from Kitra to get the ogre to drop him - the blast that killed the ogre, in fact.

Kitra stumbled to the fireplace-like structure used to light the beacon. She was completely drained and unable to even summon a spark to light the fire. With shaking hands, she pulled flint and steel from the small box next to the fireplace and lit the signal fire. As fire worked its way up the beacon, Kitra sat back and rubbed her temples. She could feel a pressure building behind her eyeballs and the constant buzz that marked the presence of the darkspawn got louder.

Just as she started to alert Alistair, an arrow sprouted from her shoulder. Stunned, her gaze travelled from the arrow protruding from her shoulder to the group of darkspawn in the doorway. She made an attempt to stand but fell. Nearby, she heard the clatter of an armored body hitting the ground. Alistair was down.

She tried in vain to pull some tiny spark of magic from herself to use in her defense as another arrow pierced her body, this time in her side. Then, a heavy blow landed on the back of her skull and her world went black.


	11. Chapter 11

Kitra was able to savor the feeling of a warm bed for just a moment before it occurred to her to wonder _why_ she was in a bed. The last place she remembered being was the top of that tower at Ostagar. Slightly alarmed, she sat up and looked around.

A hut. She was in a hut, of all places. Her first guess would have been the infirmary at Ostagar. Second, the mage tower.

"Your eyes finally open. Mother shall be pleased," said a familiar voice. "As will your idiot friend. He has practically worn a hole in the ground outside pacing."

"Morrigan," greeted Kitra. "How did I end up here? I assume this is your home."

"'Tis indeed my home. Mother plucked you from the top of the tower and healed your wounds, so if you are looking for someone to give your thanks to, 'tis not I."

Kitra nodded. "What, exactly, happened at Ostagar?"

"The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. Your army, your Wardens, your king… they are dead," said Morrigan.

"Unfortunate," sighed Kitra. "You mentioned my idiot friend. Alistair is still alive, then?"

"Indeed; Mother took both of you from the tower. He is not taking the news of your armies' defeat well."

Kitra ran a hand through her messy, cropped curls. "Of course." She sighed again. "One last question, Morrigan. Do you know where my clothes are?"

"I had wondered if you even noticed your state of undress," said Morrigan, her tone betraying her amusement. From a chest, she pulled Kitra's things plus what appeared to be mismatched pieces of armor.

"I noticed," said Kitra as she sifted through the belongings that Morrigan deposited onto the bed. "I just don't care." She selected the length of fabric that she used to bind her chest and did so before pulling on her shirt. Undergarments, socks, and pants were next, followed by boots and the armor, which took her a few minutes to figure out. Last came her belt, the contents of which had remained miraculously intact.

"Thank you, Morrigan," said Kitra as she headed for the door, "for the information and the clothes." She didn't wait for a reply, instead stepping out into the marsh that Flemeth and Morrigan called home.

When Kitra walked out of the door, Alistair turned and upon seeing Kitra, the frown on his face lightened somewhat. "Thank the Maker you're alive," he said, the relief evident in his voice.

"The Maker had nothing to do with it," said Kitra. "Thank Morrigan's mother instead. She's the one who got us off of the tower."

"I - yes, we should thank you, shouldn't we?" said Alistair as he turned to Morrigan's mother, who was staring off into the Wilds. "We don't even know your name."

"If you know what's good for you," she said without taking her eyes from the forest. "And I have many names, but you may call me Flemeth."

"Thank you for saving us, Flemeth," said Kitra as she turned her gaze to the forest as well, curious as to what Flemeth was so interested in.

"It just wouldn't do to leave Ferelden's last two Grey Wardens to die, now would it? Someone has to stop the Blight," said the old woman as she finally turned her gaze from the Wilds to examine the pair in front of her.

"But we can't do it alone, just the two of us," said Alistair.

"You took your treaties from me, did you not?" asked Flemeth.

"But they were lost-" started Alistair.

"No they weren't," Kitra interrupted. "Not if someone has my pack."

Alistair picked up one of the two full packs leaning against the hut and handed it to Kitra.

After about a minute of digging through the pack's contents - mostly food - Kitra pulled out the stamped and polished wood case that held the treaties.

"How fortuitous," commented Flemeth.

"So, can we do this? Build an army and stop the Blight?" asked Alistair as Kitra placed the treaties back in her pack.

"Alistair, I'm a mage. An apostate. An army would as soon listen to me as march on their own capitol. Orlais has Wardens, surely. Go to them. Let _them_ raise an army," said Kitra.

Alistair shook his head, seemingly failing to notice that Kitra was cutting herself out of the equation. "Orlais is too far. We'd never make it there and back in time to save Ferelden from getting swallowed up by the Blight."

"It appears that there is only one option," chipped in Flemeth. Suddenly serious, she turned her gaze to Kitra. The old witch had not failed to notice Kitra's particular wording and the meaning behind it. "There is only one option for you, as well."

For a moment, it seemed as if Kitra was going to argue, but something she saw in Flemeth's eyes caused her to back down with no more than a heavy, annoyed exhale.

"If we're going to do this, we should get going," said Alistair, choosing to ignore the wordless exchange between Kitra and Flemth. "We have a lot to do and not much time to do it in."

"Before you go, I can give you one last thing. Take my daughter, Morrigan. She will be of great use to you in the coming months, but you must promise that no harm will come to her," said Flemeth.

"Do we really want-"

Kitra cut Alistair off mid-sentence. "I promise, she won't come to harm with us."

Flemeth nodded. "Very well."

It was at that moment that Morrigan stuck her head out of the hut's door. "Will we be having guests for dinner tonight? Or will it be just the two of us?"

"The Wardens are leaving, and you're going with them," said Flemth.

"Such a sha- What?" Morrigan squawked, stepping fully out of the hut.

"You heard me, girl. Last I checked, you had ears. They need you."

"But-" protested Morrigan.

"No buts, you're going. Go and collect your things."

"Yes, Mother," grumbled Morrigan as she re-entered the hut.

After a few minutes of waiting, Morrigan reappeared from the hut and came to stand with Kitra and Alistair. "Shall we get going?" she asked, stamping her staff on the ground impatiently.

"Lead the way," said Kitra, and with that, they left Flemeth's little hut in the swamp behind.


	12. Chapter 12

The first few hours of travel were largely silent, but after a late midday meal, Morrigan and Alistair struck up a conversation. Kitra didn't pay them much mind as their conversation went from curious inquiries to bickering. She had taken over leading at that point, guiding them around places that she knew to have regular darkspawn patrols or that she could actively sense darkspawn near.

At dusk, they made camp in a cluster of ruins that lay along their route north. Lacking tents, the three chose the most sheltered area of the old buildings to start their fire and select places to sleep. Kitra tried to ignore the continued sniping between Alistair and Morrigan as she took it upon herself to make dinner - roasted squirrel accompanied by a bit of cheese and some berries that Kitra had to assure Alistair were not poisonous or otherwise harmful.

"You are traveling with _two_ apostate mages. I fail to see why you only direct your antagonism toward _me_," groused Morrigan.

"Kitra is a _Warden_," argued Alistair.

At her name, Kitra looked up from the roasting squirrel she was poking with her knife in an attempt to see if it was cooked through enough to eat.

"Kitra is still an apostate," commented the apostate in question. "I am still a mage outside the Circle, marked for death by the Templars because I persist in living. The Wardens are gone."

"The Wardens are _not_ gone!" insisted Alistair, his tone bordering on angry. "There's the two of us. We may be the only Wardens, but we are still Wardens."

Kitra snorted. "I only agreed to all of this so that I could gain immunity from the Templars. Look where that's gotten me - tainted blood and nearly killed at the top of a damn tower. Now I'm on some mad quest to stop the Blight? I should have run as soon as the thief died."

"He has a name - Daveth," seethed Alistair. "And you would desert like some coward?"

Kitra merely waved away the dead man's name. "I have built my life on running. Call it cowardice if you wish, but I call it staying alive." She sheathed the knife she had continued to hold throughout the conversation before she stood, regarding an irate Alistair with a look of mild annoyance in her grey eyes. Without another word, she walked off into the night.

"Where are you going?" demanded a stunned Alistair as the darkness of the forest swallowed Kitra. He started to get up to follow her, find a way to make her not leave, when Morrigan decided to remind him of her presence.

"She has left her pack and her armor; I do not think she intends to stay away for long." Morrigan paused at the sound of crackling meat over the fire. "And I believe dinner is ready."


	13. Chapter 13

Alistair's watch had passed and Morrigan was standing guard when Kitra returned, a battered pack over her shoulder. The witch asked no questions as Kitra set the old pack next to her new one and began to rearrange their contents.

"I can take the rest of your watch," said Kitra after a few minutes.

Morrigan nodded and left her place near the fire for the patch of ground she had claimed for sleeping.

When morning came, Kitra was seated in front of the last embers of the fire, eyes closed and perfectly still save for her regular breathing.

"Kitra, you're back," said Alistair. He sounded somewhat surprised.

"Against my better judgment," Kitra replied without bothering to open her eyes.

"Where did you go?" Alistair ignored the nosy templar comment from Morrigan that followed his query.

"My den. I needed to retrieve my things."

"You have a den? Like an animal?"

"Yes." Kitra snorted at the resulting _why am I not surprised?_ comment from Alistair.

"Right." He paused. "What in the maker's name are you doing?"

"Meditating," said Kitra. "Or trying to, rather. Are you finished with your questions?" She finally opened her eyes, fixing Alistair with a stormy-eyed glare.

"Er, yes." said Alistair, slightly uncomfortable under the apostate's glare. "We're ready to leave when you are."

Kitra picked up her things, scuffed some dirt over the embers of the fire, and started walking.

By midday, they had reached the Imperial Highway and continued their journey to Lothering, this time following a beaten path instead of making their own. Such courses came with their own dangers, as they learned on their second day of walking the highway.

The darkspawn came from the woods on either side of the road, fanning out in an attempt to ring in the trio.

Morrigan was the first to act, freezing three darkspawn solid. They shattered when they were struck by Kitra's lightning.

As soon as they were within range, Alistair was bashing darkspawn with his shield and running them through with his sword while they were stunned.

For the most part, Kitra and Morrigan worked together, with Morrigan incapacitating the darkspawn by various magical methods and Kitra zapping them until they fell. If anything got to close, Kitra stabbed it with her knife or punched it until she could safely resume hitting the targets Morrigan left for her.

Midway through the battle, Alistair was joined in his endeavors by a large animal of some sort.

Kitra supposed that it could be a dog, but it was very large and very dirty. She wasn't given much time to consider the animal, really, because as soon as she spotted it she also spotted darkspawn reinforcements arriving.

When all of the darkspawn finally lay dead on the road, the large animal - which was, in fact, a dog - bounded up to Kitra and reared up onto its hind legs, balancing its paws on her shoulders. Unprepared to find herself supporting almost half the dog's weight, Kitra dropped to the ground.

Alistair edged closer, sword still in hand. Certainly the dog had helped with the darkspawn, but was it truly friendly?

With Kitra pinned into the dirt and muck of the road, the dog barked happily and wagged its stubby tail happily.

"That has got to be the largest mabari I've ever seen," said Alistair, sheathing his sword after seeing that the dog had only friendly intentions.

"That thing," sniffed Morrigan distastefully, "is a dog? 'Tis the size of a bear."

The dog barked again and licked Kitra's face.

"None of that," grumbled Kitra, gently shoving the dog's face away. "Now get off of me..." she trailed off, taking a peek down the dog's belly, "boy."

Obligingly, the dog removed his paws from Kitra's shoulders and backed away to let Kitra up.

"Mabari are amazingly smart, you know," commented Alistair. "They choose their own masters, and I think this one's chosen you."

The dog whuffed in agreement.

"But why me?" Kitra asked absently as she attempted to brush the dirt and grime from her clothing.

Alistair shrugged. "Mabari are like that. Did you run into any at Ostagar? There were quite a few."

"There was one," started Kitra. The hound had come to stand beside her and she found herself petting its head as she spoke. "It was sick. But it was also massive, just like this one." She looked down at the dog, trying to mentally compare the size and appearance of the dirty, scruffy animal before her to the sick, thin one she had helped back at Ostagar. They did seem quite similar. "This could be that same mabari."

At her conclusion, the mabari at her side nudged her thigh so hard that she nearly fell over again.

"I think that's a yes," said an amused Alistair as Kitra shot the mabari one of her annoyed looks. To the dog's credit, it didn't cower in the slightest.

"Are we seriously considering keeping this monster?" chimed in Morrigan.

Kitra shrugged. "He can make himself useful. He fought alongside Alistair well enough."

"And you can't really get rid of a mabari once it's chosen you, short of killing it," added Alistair.

The dog whined and tried to hide its huge body behind Kitra's, largely unsuccessfully.

"He stays," said Kitra.

Morrigan sighed.

"What are you going to call him?" asked Alistair as they continued on their path down the road, the dog falling into step behind Kitra.

Kitra allowed herself a grin. "Bear."

"How fitting," commented Morrigan dryly.


	14. Chapter 14

"Here it is, Lothering. Pretty as a painting," said Alistair as he leaned on the edge of the Imperial Highway.

All three humans in the group focused on the town just up the road, which could be clearly seen from their vantage point on the highway.

"Bear, drop it," commanded Kitra absently as the hound turned to her, his prize clutched between his jaws. With a whine, he dropped the bandit's tibia he had been trying to present to his mistress.

"What? No reaction at all?" asked Alistair as he looked to Kitra. It seemed he had expected her to say something about the state of the little town.

Morrigan snorted. "What is there to react to? 'Tis nothing but a festering refugee camp."

Alistair ignored her.

"I've been here before," said Kitra, uncrossing her arms from beneath her chest. "I used to come here for supplies sometimes." She gestured to the ramp that would set them on the path into town. "Shall we?"

With that, the little group made their way into the town.

Kitra took note that only Templars guarded the town; the actual guards that would have belonged to whatever Bann Lothering answered to were nowhere to be found.

It seemed Alistair noticed as well, for as soon as they sighted the Chantry, Alistair volunteered to take the news of the bandits' demise to whomever was left in charge of the town - likely the most senior-ranking Templar. This left Kitra alone with Morrigan and Bear.

"Morrigan," said Kitra as she fished around in her pack, "could you procure some traveling supplies for us?" After a bit of searching, she withdrew a small pouch that made a distinct clinking sound when it moved. "Tents and the like? I have some other things I'd like to see to while we're here."

Morrigan looked from the pouch that Kitra held out to the merchant near the Chantry who appeared to be arguing with one of the Sisters. "Certainly."

Kitra wasn't entirely sure that she liked the slightly predatory look Morrigan wore as she strode off to do their shopping, but Kitra had a few things that she wanted to look into around town. With Bear at her side, she made her way through town, pausing to speak with an elven family about the bandits before making her way to the bridge that would take her into the more residential part of town.

At the bridge, a small boy got her attention. "Hello miss," said the child as he looked up at her. Kitra estimated that he couldn't be older than six. "Have you seen my mother? I'm cold and hungry and I can't find her."

"No," said Kitra with a shake of her head before kneeling down to the boy's level. "I haven't. Would you like to come with me and look for her? She must be worried about you."

"Mum said I'm not to go anywhere with strangers," said the boy. He reached out to pet Bear, who offered his giant head obligingly.

"Your mother is wise," said Kitra thoughtfully. She reached into one of the pouches at her waist - of course she hadn't given Morrigan all of her coin - and withdrew three silvers. "Here. Go buy some food and take what's left over to the Chantry. Perhaps if you offer up some coin for their coffers they'll take notice of you."

The boy nodded. "Thank you. You're a nice lady, just like mother." He smiled up at her before running off, presumably to do as Kitra had instructed and buy food.

"You're the first person to stop and help him and not simply pass him by," said and accented voice behind Kitra.

She stood and turned, finding herself facing red-haired woman in Chantry robes. "Oh?" Kitra asked, arching an eyebrow in a questioning look.

"Yes," said the Sister. "Most people have simply glanced at him before shaking their heads and moving on. They couldn't - or wouldn't - do anything to help him."

"What about you?" Kitra was blunt. "You're a sister of the Chantry. Don't they take in orphans of all sorts?"

"We are taxed to capacity, the Chantry can't handle any more refugees," said the Sister sadly. "And who's to say he's an orphan?"

"He's alone in a town that's right in the path of the Blight. Most parents are keeping their children close at hand, ready to flee at a moment's notice. The boy has no one. If he did, at least one parent would be with him." Kitra started walking, crossing the bridge and making her way through the streets of the residential section of town.

The Sister followed, seeming intent on keeping up a conversation, much to Kitra's mild annoyance. "That is true," she conceded, sounding a bit saddened by the likely conclusion. However, she quickly perked up. "You're new here, aren't you? I haven't seen you before."

"You could say that," said Kitra, who was making her way toward the tavern and doing her best to at least tolerate the inquisitive Sister.

"I am Leliana. Please to make your acquaintance...?" she said cheerfully.

"Kitra," supplied the mage in question shortly.

"Kitra," said the woman as though tasting the word. "That's an unusual name."

Kitra sighed. "I like to think it suits me. I'm not much of an Ophelia or a Mirabelle."

The Sister, Leliana, cocked her head as though trying to consider the tall, boyish-looking woman in mismatched armor as a Mirabelle. Apparently the image didn't fit, because she shook her head soon after. "That is true."

They reached the tavern and Kitra pushed the door open, walking inside and straight into a group of armed men.


	15. Chapter 15

"Well well, what have we here, boys? We've been asking around about a..." The leader looked Kitra up and down, looking momentarily confused. "...woman," he said the word as though he wasn't sure it was the appropriate one, "of this description and no one said they'd seen her, but here she is."

Bear, who had been quietly following his mistress up until that point, growled at the men.

Kitra scowled. "What business do you have with me?" she asked, crossing her arms and fixing the men with a frosty glare. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with them. As it was, her patience was being taxed by the chatty Sister - and she was hungry, a feeling that seemed to occur with greater frequency since she became a Warden.

"You're a Grey Warden, a wanted criminal as decreed by Teyrn Loghain," said the leader. "Get her, men."

Bear sprang, knocking over two men. One was unfortunate enough to bear the brunt of the hound's weight on his chest while the other found himself fighting to keep Bear's teeth away from his throat. The man seemed to be losing that particular battle.

Kitra drew her knife, slashing at any who got close enough and when she chanced a look to see how Leliana was handling things, she was surprised to see the Sister with a weapon of her own. She was momentarily impressed by the way Leliana moved and struck so quickly. The moment was gone when one of the bounty hunters - because that was what they were, really - swung a battleaxe alarmingly close to her head. Kitra got in close to elbow the man in the nose, startling him enough that he paused in his next swing, enabling Kitra to stab him. With him down, Kitra turned her attention to one of the men attacking Bear.

The fight continued for a few more minutes, with Bear making short work of the men in such a small space as the entry of the tavern and Leliana dropping them with speed and grace. Comparatively, Kitra was a bit slower and clumsier with her kills, unable safely use her lightning in the small space and having to rely on her hunting knife.

Only one of the bounty hunters was left standing, weapons down and pleading with Kitra to halt. She turned to him, fixing him with her best glare and allowing a tendril of lightning to jump in her free hand right where he could see it.

He dropped to his knees, eyes wide with fear. He hadn't known he was picking on a mage.

Kitra sheathed her knife and called Bear to heel before walking over to the man, pulling him up to face her by the straps of his armor.

"Mercy," he pleaded as he was hauled up.

Kitra seemed to consider his request for a moment before she dropped him.

In his shock, the bounty hunter neglected to make use of his legs and fell to the floor.

"Go. But tell your friends that anyone else who comes after me is a dead man," Kitra spat.

He scrambled to his feet and practically flew out the door.

"You are kind, to show him mercy," observed Leliana as she straightened her robes and hair, as both had become somewhat disheveled during the fight.

Kitra shrugged. "I just wanted a messenger." She looked at the bodies that littered the entryway to the tavern and sighed. "I don't think we're going to be welcome here as soon as they come out to investigate."

They stepped outside and walked a few buildings down, trying to look as inconspicuous as people spotted with blood could.

"You are a Grey Warden, aren't you?" asked Leliana as Kitra knelt to check Bear for injuries.

"That is the unfortunate state of my life at the moment, yes," said Kitra absently as she tried to hold a fidgeting Bear in place.

"And as a Grey Warden, it is your duty to stop the Blight."

"According to history, Alistair, and an old swamp witch, I suppose it is."

Leliana appeared momentarily baffled by Kitra's reply but continued anyway. "And you'll need help, yes? I can help. You saw that I am not without skills."

Kitra recalled how Leliana had dealt with the bounty hunters in the tavern. There was more to this particular Chantry Sister than it first appeared, that was true.

"Please, I want to- I _need_ to come with you. It is the Maker's will."

Kitra stood, not saying a word, and after a moment, arched a single eyebrow and folded her arms under her chest.

"I'm not crazy, I promise," said Leliana hurriedly. She tried to look Kitra in the eye, but something she saw in them made her look away almost immediately. Her eyes were harder and colder than they were before. "I had a dream. A vision."

They stood there for a long moment, Kitra with her arms crossed and Leliana fiddling with the cuffs of her robes, which were stained with a few drops of blood from the bounty hunters in the tavern.

"I will not deny help when it is offered," said Kitra carefully. "Even if it does come from strange places."

Leliana looked up and flashed Kitra a smile before taking on a more thoughtful look. "What do you mean, _strange_?"

Kitra gestured to all of Leliana. "You are a Chantry Sister. You can hold your own in a fight and you're asking to join a Warden's mad quest."

"It does sound a bit odd when you put it like that," conceded Leliana.

They continued to walk around Lothering until Morrigan and Alistair met up with them near the northern entrance to the town. Morrigan was grinning triumphantly while Alistair, wearing a grumpy expression, carried their new supplies.

"Oh? What's this? Another priestess to play with? You are too kind," said Morrigan almost gleefully as she drew near and began to look Leliana up and down in an almost predatory manner.

Kitra sighed. "Morrigan, Alistiar; this is Leliana. She will be joining us when we leave Lothering."

"Please tell me this is a joke," said Alistair tiredly. "We're not really bringing a Chantry Sister with us, are we?"

Kitra briefly wondered what, precisely, Morrigan had done to exasperate Alistair so before replying. "I _do not_ joke. She's coming with us," said Kitra in a tone that effectively settled the matter with both of her companions. "Speaking of which, we should probably be getting along now. We left about six bounty hunters dead in the tavern. They were looking for Wardens."

Alistair opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead thought better of it and snapped his mouth shut to reconsider. "Well, we've got our supplies. I had considered taking a few Chanter's board jobs for spare coin, but if you're leaving bodies in your wake I suppose it's best that we leave. Quickly."

* * *

AN: This is where the pre-written bits end and I haven't yet completed the next chapter, so don't necessarily expect daily updates from me after this point. I do what I can but I'm super stressed and super busy trying to pass my final semester of college.

-Howl


	16. Chapter 16

As they left Lothering, Kitra noticed a lone giant of a man standing, rather cramped, in the cages on the edge of town. Curiosity getting the better of her, she approached the cage and stood for a moment watching the man within.

"There is nothing here for you, human," said the giant. "Be on your way."

"You're a qunari, one of the people of the north - Par Vollen and Seheron. Why are you here, in a cage?" Kitra asked, ignoring the giant's earlier comment.

The qunari seemed to actually consider Kitra's question for a moment before replying. "I murdered a family," he said simply.

Kitra arched an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"The Revered Mother had him locked up. He's been here for quite some time." Leliana filled in the gaps the qunari left out in his brusque manner of speaking. "It's a shame, really. The Qunari are such a proud people. To see one of them caged like this is… sad."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with the priestess," said Morrigan. "It would be a shame to leave him here to starve or be killed by the darkspawn. He could be useful to us."

"He killed innocent people - an entire family!" protested Alistair. "And who's to say he wouldn't slaughter us as well when we let him out?"

"Five to one are good odds," said Kitra to Alistair before directing her attention once more to the qunari in the cage. "What is your name?"

"I am called Sten," answered the giant after a moment.

"Sten, we are on a quest of sorts and we require help. Should you agree to work with us, we can get you out of that cage."

"Oh?" inquired Sten. "And who are you, to be on a quest of such importance?"

"Grey Wardens," supplied Kitra.

"Curious," Sten grunted. "But I doubt the head priestess will part with the key to my cage easily, Grey Wardens or no."

"So this means you'll help, then?" Kitra asked as she pulled lockpicking tools from one of the many pouches at her belt.

"If you let me out of this cage, I will follow you against the Blight to find my atonement, Grey Warden."

"Excellent," said Kitra as she worked at the lock, her brows furrowing in annoyance as it began to take longer than she'd like.

"Allow me," said Leliana as she pulled a similar set of tools from somewhere in the sleeves of her robe.

Kitra placed her tools back in her belt pouch and watched with interest as the chantry sister picked the lock with ease.

As soon as the cage door swung open, Sten stepped out to stand before Kitra. He stood nearly two heads taller than she, and Kitra was rather tall herself.

"Shall we be going?" Sten asked.

As they neared the Imperial Highway, Kitra furrowed her brow. She could feel the darkspawn ahead, which was odd since it had appeared as though the darkspawn had yet to pass Lothering.

Apparently Alistair felt them as well, because he unstrapped his shield from his back. "Darkspawn ahead," he said grimly. "I didn't think they'd gotten this far, with Lothering still intact." He took the lead as they headed for the Highway.

At the site of the attack, there were many overturned wagons swarmed by darkspawn. There was also screaming, which alerted them to the fact that there were people still alive amidst the chaos.

Kitra shifted to her cougar form, overtaking Alistair in the run for the Highway. Bear was quick to follow his mistress, no matter which form she took.

The eerie combination of Bear's hunting howl and Kitra's attack scream served to draw the darkspawn's attention from the survivors of what was probably a group of traveling merchants, allowing them to flee or at the very least get significantly away from the impending battle.

Kitra immediately targeted the darkspawn mage that seemed to lead the others.

While she was occupied, Bear cut off a few of the darkspawn who had chosen to chase the fleeing merchants, blocking their path with tooth and claw.

Seconds later, Alistair, Sten, Leliana, and Morrigan joined the fight. Sten and Alistair waded into the darkspawn and began knocking them around Alistair with his shield and and Sten with his bare fists. Leliana kept to the edges of the fray, picking off those who were stunned by Sten and Alistair's blows. Morrigan stayed even farther out, targeting individual darkspawn with her spells so she wouldn't accidentally freeze or set on fire an ally.

When all of the darkspawn lay dead or dying, Kitra resumed her human form. "Anyone need healing?" she asked, brushing sparking fingers over her own shoulder where a genlock had come after her with an axe.

Alistair shook his head and Morrigan didn't bother to reply. Bear wagged his tail.

"It's just a few scratches, I'm fine," said Leliana as she noticed the little rips in her robes. She then looked to Sten, who hadn't said or motioned either way. "Sten, you were in the middle of all that without any armor. Are you-"

Sten cut her off. "You are worried? No need, I am fine."

A few survivors from the attack approached the wreckage cautiously. Some thanked the group while others went about gathering what was left of their goods.

One dwarf merchant even wondered if they desired company along the road, although after learning who they were he quickly but politely rescinded his offer.

After taking a few more minutes to make sure the merchants were alright, the group continued on their way.


End file.
